


"The Last Battle" Drabbles

by Aceofstars16



Series: SWR Season 3 Drabbles [5]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 06:16:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8478454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aceofstars16/pseuds/Aceofstars16
Summary: These past two weeks have been super busy and stressful, which is why I didn't get this posted until today. It's also the reason I only have two drabbles instead of my usual three/four. However, I may write more one day, I've already gotten requests for drabbles for previous episodes, so when I write those I will update those works and let y'all know  in my newest work!Updated with a new drabble!These two drabbles take place during/after "The Last Battle" so if you haven't seen the episode yet don't read this!





	

**Author's Note:**

> ["The Life of a Battle Droid"](http://aceofstars16.tumblr.com/post/152673242723/perhaps-any-kind-of-story-that-can-touch-on-the)   
>  ["Only Joking"](http://aceofstars16.tumblr.com/post/152711954838/only-joking)   
>  ["Clone Wars Veterans"](http://aceofstars16.tumblr.com/post/157601747168/clone-wars-veterans)

**"The Life of a Battle Droid"**

Requested by someone on tumblr, this short drabble focuses on the battle droids and what life was like for them for the fifteen years they were operating after the Clone Wars. It was a very odd fic to write, but it was a challenge and I hope y'all like it!

\----------

Droids weren’t supposed to think, at least not more than needed. They were supposed to know threats, and know how to fight those threats. But they had never meant to be online for as long as B1-243 and his companions had been. B1-243 couldn’t pinpoint when he started thinking beyond protocols, when he started actually thinking, but he and his fellow droids did think now. At least more than they did. Old wiring was probably the problem; circuits had broken or gotten rusted and messed with their programming. But there was nothing to do about it now. They all knew that, and they all knew they were lucky to still be operating. All over the universe the other droids had been shut down, but their commander had been smarter than that. He had let them keep running. But sometimes B1-243 wondered if that had been the best decision. After all, they had been online for years with not much resistance at all, the Republic was nowhere to be seen, it was the Empire now, but even the Empire wasn’t present. Not that B1-243 would say this out loud. He was a loyal droid, and he was programmed to obey, so he would obey, even if his messed up circuits questioned the orders.

However, a dull life – or artificial life – wasn’t the worst part of the past fifteen years. Not every droid had stayed running. Droids didn’t have friends, or at least they didn’t when they had been created, but B1-423 had companions, and fellow droids, some of which had shut down and never turned back on. That was every droids fear, even if they didn’t bring it up. None of them knew when one day they would break down and never wake up again. Not that they didn’t try to keep each other functioning. In fact they regularly ran diagnostics on each other. But that couldn’t prevent them from shutting down, it could only keep them going for so long.

That’s how every day played out, patrolling the grounds while trying to ignore the fear of shutting down. It was monotonous, but at least their messed-up circuits made each of them unique, adding their own humor or thoughts to what was going on. B1-249 didn’t seem to understand humor at all and would just stare when everyone else laughed. B1-212 was the most sarcastic droid ever, and it rubbed off sometimes. B1-423 himself was pretty funny, or at least he thought so. It was a drab life but at least there was some comradery.

Then the Jedi and clone had shown up. For the first time in years, there was a battle again. B1-423 was ready to do something, to prove himself. This is what he was made for after all. But after a few minutes, he realized that it was a lost cause. His circuits were old, he wasn’t as sharp as before, neither were his companions. But somehow he survived the fight, even though many of his fellow droids had not. The objective changed to fighting with the Jedi and clone, something that seemed down right wrong to B1-423, after all they had killed his friends. He was still a loyal droid however, and he did what he was told. And against the all odds they escaped. A new chapter had started in B1-423’s life, he didn’t know what it would hold, but he was interested to see how it would play out. Though he would miss his friends, at least they weren’t all destroyed. The Separatist Alliance was gone, but he was still here, with his fellow droids, and together they would figure out a new objective.

 

* * *

 

 

**"Only Joking"**

This drabble was inspired by people asking what Kanan meant by saying "Most of the time" in reference to Ezra being his padawan. While it was most likely a joke, I thought it would be fun to delve into if it hurt Ezra more than he would like to admit. 

\----------

Ezra knew it was meant as a joke, but the words kept running around in his head. _Most of the time._ He had heard Sabine say it to Hondo and now Kanan had said it too. He told himself over and over again that they were just joking around. They did that, their whole crew did it, heck he even did it! But the words still stung. Because they held some semblance of truth. He had let the holochron influence him, he had listened to Maul. And during those times he hadn’t been himself, he hadn’t been Kanan’s padawan. And the jokes were reminders of that, of how much he had messed up. How he could still mess up. Not that he wasn’t more careful now. But he had thought he had been doing the right thing in the past, and sometimes he still thought he had done the right thing. He was still at war with himself at times, and he couldn’t joke about that.

“Ezra?”

Ezra looked up quickly, surprised to see Kanan standing in the doorway of his cabin. He must have really been deep in thought to have missed feeling his mentor’s approach in the Force. “Yeah?”

“I just wanted to see if you wanted to train with me and Rex. He thought it’d be good if he practiced some maneuvers with you as well, not just me.”

“Oh, uh…yeah that sounds good.” Even as he spoke, Ezra’s heart really wasn’t in it. He wasn’t in the right place mentally to train, but he didn’t want to admit that.

“You ok?” Kanan asked, worry creeping into his voice.

“Yeah, fine, let’s go.” Ezra said, trying to ignore his jumbled emotions as he jumped off of his bunk and headed towards the cargo bay. But then Kanan’s hand rested on his shoulder and he was forced to stop.

“Ezra, what’s going on?” There was more authority in Kanan’s voice now, but he still sounded worried.

“Nothing!” Ezra said, not wanting to blow the whole thing out of proportion. He knew that his emotions were uncalled for. His brain knew that but his heart had a harder time accepting it.

“Ezra…” there was a warning tone in Kanan’s voice, he wasn’t going to drop this. Ezra had no choice but to confide in his recent feeling.

Letting out a breath, Ezra tried to figure out how to put his feelings into words, it was easier said than done. “It’s nothing serious, I know I shouldn’t be thinking about it as much as I do, but…agh it’s silly, please can we just go train?” Ezra hated how his emotions were so out of tune, he just wanted to feel fine with everything, he should be okay with it all, but he wasn’t.

Kanan sighed. “If that’s what you really want.”

It was a way out, a way to avoid admitting how much the joke had pained him. But Ezra knew he couldn’t take it. If he ignored it, it would keep bugging him. And Kanan would worry about him constantly unless he told the truth. Not only that but the trust that they had slowly been building up would be broken down again. As much as Ezra hated to admit how vulnerable he felt, he knew he couldn’t lose his connection with Kanan again. Not because of something so trivial.

Taking a deep breath, Ezra reminded himself that this was Kanan, he could trust Kanan with anything. “When the droid asked if I was your padawan and you said most of the time…it…hurt. I know it was just a joke but…” Ezra trailed off.

“Ezra,” Kanan said, grabbing both of Ezra’s shoulders gently. “You are my padawan. Not most of the time, always. No matter what happens, no matter what Maul says. Nothing can change that, and I’m sorry if any of my offhanded remarks make you think any different.”

Emotions welled up in Ezra’s chest, and tears played at his eyes. Kanan was affirming all that he already knew, but it’s what he needed. Before he could stop himself, he flung his arms around Kanan and hugged him tight, letting himself be comforted and reassured by Kanan’s returned hug.

“Thank you.” Ezra said quietly, aware of how strained his voice sounded, but he didn’t care. This was Kanan, he didn’t need to hide anything from him.

“Thank you for telling me. I’m so sorry.” Kanan’s voice, sounded pained, almost as much as Ezra’s.

Ezra realized how much guilt Kanan must be feeling for his offhanded comment to have hurt him so much. He hugged his mentor a little tighter, wanting him to know that it was okay, Ezra didn’t blame him. They were just two broken people trying to do the right thing. They messed up, but as long as they had each other they would be okay.

 

* * *

 

**"Clone Wars Veterans"**

A request from a user on AO3 for Kanan dealing with some PTSD after the events of the episode.

\----------

Guns fires all around. Adrenaline pulsed through Kanan’s veins, his hands moved without thinking, blocking blaster shot after blaster shot. There was a joy in the adrenaline, a fulfillment he had never known before. Clones surrounded him, fighting a battle that was worth fighting. He was part of history. He was making a difference.

Then his friends started falling. Some he didn’t know the names of, but he could still feel their death through the Force. The blaster fire grew louder as he grew more aware of it. Each blast that fired. Each shot that hit its mark. One, two, three, again and again. Each shot jarred his nerves, made him want to scream in pain and hurt, but all he could do was stand, his hands moving on their own as his mind tried to process it all.

Loss, so much loss, so much pain. And he couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t fight this. What was he even fighting for? His friends were dying. He would never see them again. How could this be worth it?

Flashes of memories slammed into him, knocking him off his feet. Stance’s laugher, cut short. Clones he had shared meals with, gone. Then his master, telling him to run. The cry of her voice as her life was cut short.

“No!” Kanan cried, jolting upright in bed. The visions of his dreams lost to his blindness. But he could still picture them, could still hear the voices.

Resting his head in his hands, Kanan tried to shake it away. The Clone Wars had been so long ago, he hadn’t had dreams like that in years. But he supposed they would never leave, not fully. They would always be in the back of his mind, ready to resurface. And the battle with Kalani had brought them all back.

Reaching out, Kanan’s fingers found his mask and he put it on before carefully making his way out of the Ghost. Fresh air had always helped him before, and as he stepped into Atollon’s humid night air, he felt his breathing steady, his nerves calm. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better.

“Nightmares?”

Rex’s voice surprised Kanan - the old clone should’ve been asleep hours ago. Letting out a breath, Kanan nodded. “Yeah…you?”

“A few. But I’ve dealt with worse,” Rex said and Kanan could feel his presence through the Force, walking to his side. “Do you want to talk about them? Talking sometimes helped the boys.”

“There’s not much to tell, just memories…” Kanan said, shaking his head as images came to light again.

“What were their names?”

“I didn’t know many of their names,” Kanan admitted. “Stance, he was my closest friend. And my master…I wasn’t in the war that long but…”

“Wars leave scars, no matter how long you experienced it,” Rex said.

Silence settled over them, both lost in memories. But the presence of another veteran helped, someone who knew what it was like. They had both seen a lot, lost a lot, but they were still here, and they would both keep fighting.


End file.
